The Yuba Powerhouse was placed in service 100 years ago,
on March 21, 1898. The Victorian boarding house still
exists, as well as the concrete foundation structure which
housed the three Pelton Wheels. Note the 42 inch penstock
sloping down the hillside at right.
(click for larger view)

Yuba Powerhouse

Foothill Preserve

The Yuba Powerhouse Foothill Preserve, hidden away in the
natural landscape of Yuba foothills country, is a
significant provider of local history information.
Restoration is progressing but far from complete and already
the Preserve is attracting students of history and nature.

A multi-story Victorian structure provides an 1898
ambiance throughout with an excellent view of the Sutter
Buttes from it's back porch. Future plans for this unique
preserve include using it for a seminar/ retreat center.
Renewable lumber and sustainable agriculture projects are
already underway. The Preserve's predicted destiny is to
become a self-sustaining asset to California's natural and
historic heritage.

The Preserve's creeks, streams and terrain provide an
almost perfect riparian habitat for birds, mammals and a
multitude of magnificent vegetation such as wild flowers and
oak groves.

Independence Trail follows the 1859 watercourse way of
the Excelsior Canal. The gently sloping trail makes possible
access to the serene beauty of the Preserve by children,
elderly and handicapped people. It accommodates wheelchairs.

The Yuba Powerhouse Foothill Preserve is an 80 acre site
situated between the 5,700 acre University of California
Sierra Foothill Field Station and the 2,300 acres controlled
by the state Department of Fish and Game near Browns Valley,
in the foothills of northern California. The Across
California Chapter of the California Institute of Man in
Nature owns the property, with hopes of linking it to an
educational network of historical landscapes.

Yuba Foothill Powerhouse Preserve is a project of the
Across California Chapter of the California Institute of Man
in Nature. For further information / membership information
or volunteer activities call
(530)272-3823 or 272-7039

Help preserve and restore this crucial 80 acres for
history, education, riparian, and native species habitat.

Work Party Signups, Future Tours, Educational and
Research Opportunities.

Participate in a volunteer project accommodating your
skill and stamina level. Give something back to California's
Natural and Historical Heritage.

Nearby to the Powerhouse is the residence of the
electricians and employees in charge of the plant.

The structure which will house these gentlemen in a
comfortable residence of two stories, fitted up with all the
appliances that go to make life pleasurable, and it is
needless to state that their lives will be passed amid
pleasant surroundings.